College baseball season has returned, and there’s no better way to enjoy the excitement of opening weekend than by tuning into the MLB Network and MLB Digital platforms, including MLB.TV, MLB.com, and the MLB app. These channels will feature the MLB Desert Invitational, where three of the 12 showcase games will be broadcast live on MLB Network, and all matches will be available for streaming on MLB’s digital platforms.

Top amateur talents from across the nation will gather in the Phoenix metro area for this three-day tournament, scheduled from February 14-16, featuring two promising players ranked in the Top 100 for the 2024 Draft.

This year’s event marks the second consecutive year with eight participating teams: Austin Peay, Grand Canyon, Nebraska, New Mexico, San Diego State, Seton Hall, UC Irvine, and Vanderbilt.

Below is the complete schedule for the weekend-long tournament (all times in Eastern Time):

Highlighted games = Available on MLB Network and MLB Digital

On the opening day of the Desert Invitational, the top two Draft prospects made a strong impression as Vanderbilt secured a victory in its season opener. Starting pitcher J.D. Thompson (ranked No. 65) struck out six batters in 4 2/3 innings of scoreless pitching, allowing only three hits and one walk. RJ Austin (ranked No. 79) hit a double on the first pitch of the game, finishing with three hits including an RBI and a run, complemented by a smooth catch in center field. Meanwhile, Grand Canyon’s Zach Yorke launched a two-run homer almost a year after his memorable performance at last year’s Desert Invitational.

Nebraska’s Mason McConnaughey had an impressive outing with nine of his 11 outs coming via strikeout but faced challenges in the fourth inning against UC Irvine. Jacob McCombs contributed with two doubles, and Colin Yeaman tripled while driving in three runs, as eight Anteaters made significant contributions with multiple hits, RBIs, or runs.

Meanwhile, power-hitting was on display in the last two games, with Brody Szako and Gus Freeman hitting home runs for Austin Peay. Josh McAlister homered for New Mexico, Jonathan Smith blasted a roundtripper for San Diego State, and AJ Soldra, Kevin Milewski, and Joey Calabretti added home runs for Seton Hall.

Saturday
2:30 p.m.: New Mexico vs. UC Irvine
3 p.m.: Seton Hall vs. Austin Peay
7:30 p.m.: San Diego State vs. Grand Canyon
8 p.m.: Vanderbilt vs. Nebraska

Sunday
2 p.m.: UC Irvine vs. Vanderbilt
2:30 p.m.: New Mexico vs. Seton Hall
7 p.m.: Nebraska vs. San Diego
7:30 p.m.: Austin Peay vs. Grand Canyon

Key players to watch include Vanderbilt’s LHP J.D. Thompson (No. 65) and OF RJ Austin (No. 79), Grand Canyon’s 1B Zach Yorke, Nebraska’s OF Gabe Swansen and RHP Mason McConnaughey, Seton Hall’s RHP Ryan Reich and OF Aiden Robbins, Austin Peay’s OF John Bay, UC Irvine’s 1B Anthony Martinez, New Mexico’s OF Khalil Walker, and San Diego State’s RHP Omar Serrano and SS Finley Bates.

This year’s MLB Desert Invitational, previously known as “MLB 4,” represents the sixth event of its kind hosted by MLB in Arizona. Most matches will take place at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick (the Spring Training facility for the Rockies and D-backs) and Sloan Park (the home of the Cubs).

The tournament provides these aspiring players with a chance to showcase their skills on the fields where they aspire to play professionally. Last year, several standout performances led Caleb Lomavita (Cal), Kaelen Culpepper (Kansas State), Austin Overn (Cal), Rodney Green (Cal), and Tyson Neighbors (Kansas State) to become early selections in the 2024 Draft, being picked by the Nationals, Twins, Orioles, Athletics, and Padres, respectively.